Closure and convexity results for closed relativistic strings (Q601078)

The authors study mathematical properties of closed relativistic strings. To this end, they first introduce the notion of a string in an \((n+1)\)-dimensional Minkowski space-time: it is a minimal time-like 2-dimensional surface; and they give two of the usual representations of it. In sections 2 and 4, they present solutions and weak solutions of the string equation. In section 3, they concentrate on the question what properties have limits of closed strings. In the final section 5, the evolution of convex curves is discussed under the point of view, whether it evolves to a singularity or not. This is related to the theorem by Hamilton for the curvature flow of plane curves. Applications to cosmic physics are shortly touched only, but relevant references to such applications are given in the reference list.